Fifth Prep Class - April 1

For this class we discussed the 19th century for the history portion and had our safety briefing for the second half of class. They basically told us that of all the major cities we could be traveling to in the world, London was probably the safest… but we still have to be careful (duh! Have you seen Taken?) and the guy then proceeded to tell us horror stories about London students and students from other study abroad programs. This included one about a BYU student who was in China and disappeared five years ago, never to be found. Yeah, not comforting.

Anyway, basic things they told us in order to keep us safe:
*Keep up with the London current events through online newspapers such as the Times and the Economist.
*Change your schedule and habits if you need to. For example, don’t go running in the dark. If you normally go running at 11pm, you’d better find another time to run.
*The risk in London is similar to that in medium size US cities.
*Watch out for pickpockets. They’re slick and everywhere, but especially in crowded areas.
*Don’t take with you more than you can afford to lose.
*Don’t advertise what you have. For example, don’t flash your laptop, digital camera, and iPod around.
*NEVER carry your passport with you. You shouldn’t need it, and it can stay at the London Center.
*Don’t carry large amounts of money.
*Don’t put all your money in one spot. Socks are great!
*Keep a close eye on bank statements and have more than one account so that if one is compromised, you’re not up a creek.
*Use cash whenever possible, not credit cards.
*Use ATM cards only at legit places during business hours.
*Make sure you have your bank branch’s phone number.
*If ATMs next to each other don’t look the same, don’t use them.
*Walk confidently.
*Talk quietly.
*Carry key contact numbers with you at all times.
*Always be detailed and let people know where you’re going. Don’t go anywhere alone.

Then we talked about things it might be a good idea to bring:
*Ear plugs and a sleep mask for when roommates are up and partying when you want to sleep.
*Nothing that uses a US plug. Hair straighteners and curling irons are out. Laptops need a plug converter but will be fine on UK currency.
*Take a copy of your vaccinations.
*Take something to keep money safe, such as a money belt.

Yep, so those were the basics of our 5th meeting. London is that much closer now!